California Trio Sentenced in Operation Bear Claw Bear-Suit Insurance Fraud at Lake Arrowhead

Three Southern California residents were sentenced for an insurance fraud scheme that prosecutors said involved staging fake bear attacks on luxury vehicles using a person in a bear costume, with the California Department of Insurance calling the investigation "Operation Bear Claw."

The scheme centered on a claim tied to a Jan. 28, 2024 incident at Lake Arrowhead in which the suspects said a bear entered their 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost and damaged the inside with scratches.

ABC7 Chicago

ABC7 Los Angeles reported that the suspects provided a video to their insurance company showing the "bear" in the car, and that investigators determined the "bear" was actually a person in a bear costume.

BBC likewise said viral video handed to insurers seemed to show a bear in the 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost at Lake Arrowhead on 28 January 2024, but that biologists at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife reviewed the footage and determined it showed a human in a bear suit.

The California Department of Insurance said the fraud involved $141,839 in insurance payments, and the BBC described the case as involving similar claims filed on the same date and location for two high-end Mercedes models.

Fox Business added that detectives uncovered two other fraudulent claims submitted to different insurance companies regarding the same incident, tied to a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E350.

In the sentencing, ABC7 Los Angeles reported that Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, of Valley Village, Ruben Tamrazian, 26, of Glendale, and Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, of Glendale were sentenced to 180 days in jail and ordered to pay restitution, while a fourth suspect, Ararat Chirkinian, 39, still had a pending case.

Investigators said the fraud hinged on video evidence that appeared to show a bear entering and damaging luxury cars, but that a biologist later concluded the footage showed a human in a bear suit.

ABC7 Los Angeles described how the California Department of Insurance said the suspects provided a video that showed the "bear" in the car, and that an investigation into the claim dubbed "Operation Bear Claw" found the "bear" was actually a person in a bear costume.

ABC7 Los Angeles

BBC reported that viral video handed to insurers as evidence seemed to show a bear in a 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost in Lake Arrowhead on 28 January 2024, and that biologists at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife reviewed the footage and determined it showed a human in a bear suit.

The BBC quoted the state insurance department’s conclusion that "it was clearly a human in a bear suit."

Fox Business said a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife reviewed the video and concluded the animal shown was "clearly a human in a bear suit," according to authorities.

The Los Angeles Times added that the state’s investigation started in 2024 after the group claimed a bear entered their 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost in Lake Arrowhead and scratched up the inside of the car, and that they submitted a video of the incident as evidence.

The Los Angeles Times also described the video as showing what appears to be, "to the casual observer, at least, a person in a brown bear costume entering a car and rummaging around and pawing at the inside."

Multiple outlets said investigators then used the video to uncover additional claims involving other vehicles, with Fox Business stating detectives later determined the "bear" in the video was a person in a bear costume and uncovered two additional fraudulent claims tied to a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E350.

The Guardian similarly said the plan unraveled after the defendants filed an insurance claim in 2024 claiming that the bear had damaged a 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost and provided a video of the alleged attack inside the car parked at Lake Arrowhead in the San Bernardino mountains.

After pleading no contest to felony insurance fraud, the three defendants received jail sentences and restitution orders, while a fourth suspect remained scheduled for further court proceedings.

“Three Southern California residents have been sentenced in a bizarre insurance fraud scheme which prosecutors say involved them staging fake bear attacks on high-end cars”

ABC7 Los Angeles

BBC said Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, Ruben Tamrazian, 26, and Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, pleaded no contest to felony insurance fraud and were sentenced on Thursday to 180 days in jail, plus two years of supervised probation, and it quoted state insurance commissioner Ricardo Lara saying, "What may have looked unbelievable turned out to be exactly that - and now those responsible are being held accountable."

ABC7 Los Angeles reported that the same three were sentenced to 180 days in jail and ordered to pay restitution, and it identified the fourth suspect as Ararat Chirkinian, 39, with a pending case.

Fox Business stated the three pleaded no contest to felony insurance fraud and were sentenced to 180 days in jail and two years of supervised probation and ordered to pay restitution, and it said Chirkinian was scheduled to return to court in September for a preliminary hearing.

People reported that after their November 2024 arrest, each of the three was sentenced to 180 days in jail and two years of supervised probation on Thursday, April 16, and it provided restitution figures of $55,360 for Zuckerman and $52,268 for Tamrazian, while Muradkhanyan’s restitution amount was still being determined.

The Guardian said Zuckerman and Tamrazian were each ordered to pay more than $52,000 in restitution and that Muradkhanyan’s restitution amount was not immediately determined, while also stating that a fourth suspect, Ararat Chirkinian, 39, is scheduled to return to court in September for a preliminary hearing.

Sky News similarly said the trio were each sentenced to 180 days in jail to be served through a weekend programme, and it said Zuckerman and Tamrazian were each ordered to pay more than $52,000 in restitution while Muradkhanyan’s restitution amount was not immediately determined.

The Associated Press described the sentencing as a weekend jail program followed by probation and said two of the defendants were ordered to pay over $50,000 in restitution, with a fourth person facing a court hearing in September.

Across outlets, the total cost to insurance companies was described as $141,839, with ABC7 Los Angeles saying officials said the total cost was $141,839 and the BBC describing the fraud involved $141,839 (£105,000) in insurance payments.

California Department of Insurance officials and investigators portrayed the case as a deliberate attempt to mislead insurers with staged evidence, and they tied the outcome to the department’s investigative work.

BBC quoted state insurance commissioner Ricardo Lara saying, "What may have looked unbelievable turned out to be exactly that - and now those responsible are being held accountable," while Fox Business quoted Lara writing, "What may have looked unbelievable turned out to be exactly that, and now those responsible are being held accountable."

BBC

Fox Business also included Lara’s statement that "My Department’s investigators uncovered the facts, exposed this scam and helped bring these defendants to justice," and it added that "Insurance fraud is a serious crime that drives up costs for consumers, and no scheme is too outrageous for us to investigate."

The Guardian similarly quoted Lara’s press release language that "My department’s investigators uncovered the facts, exposed this scam and helped bring these defendants to justice," and it repeated the warning that "Insurance fraud is a serious crime that drives up costs for consumers, and no scheme is too outrageous for us to investigate."

ABC7 Los Angeles said investigators uncovered two other fraudulent claims submitted to different insurance companies regarding the same incident, and it said the investigation took a closer look at the video and found the "bear" was actually a person in a bear costume.

The Los Angeles Times described the probe as led by Capt. Eric Hood, a 20-year veteran with the California Department of Insurance who told the paper, "It’s definitely out of the ordinary," and "I don’t think we saw anything to that extent in the past where they got a bear suit."

The Los Angeles Times also said detectives executed a search and arrest warrant in November 2024 and discovered a head-to-claw bear costume and meat shredders they say were used in the scheme.

UPI and the Associated Press both described the biologist review and the search warrant as key steps, with UPI saying the biologist confirmed that the purported bear was "clearly a human in a bear suit" and with the Associated Press saying a biologist reviewed the footage and concluded it was "clearly a human in a bear suit" before detectives found the bear costume in the suspects’ home.

Across the reporting, the investigation’s trigger was an insurance company flagging a suspicious claim tied to the Jan. 28, 2024 incident at Lake Arrowhead, with Fox Business saying the investigation began after an insurance company flagged a suspicious claim tied to that incident and People saying the scheme began after an insurance company flagged the "suspicious claim" of a bear attack on the Rolls-Royce in Lake Arrowhead, Calif.

While the core narrative remained consistent across outlets—bear-suit video evidence, a biologist’s conclusion that it was a human in a bear suit, and sentencing for felony insurance fraud—different reports emphasized different details about timing, restitution, and how the jail term would be served.

“Three sentenced for 'man in bear suit' insurance scam Three men have been sentenced in California for an insurance scam using someone in a bear costume to stage fake attacks on luxury cars”

BBC

ABC7 Los Angeles said the three were sentenced to 180 days in jail and ordered to pay restitution, and it reported that a fourth suspect, Ararat Chirkinian, still had a pending case.

CBS News

BBC specified that the three pleaded no contest and were sentenced on Thursday to 180 days in jail, plus two years of supervised probation, and it quoted Ricardo Lara’s accountability message.

Sky News said the trio were each sentenced to 180 days in jail to be served through a weekend programme, and it described the plan as an effort to get their paws on $141,839 (£111,788) in insurance payouts.

The Associated Press described the sentencing as a weekend jail program, followed by probation, and said the group submitted fraudulent claims seeking nearly $142,000 in payouts from insurance companies.

People provided a specific sentencing date of Thursday, April 16, and it gave restitution amounts of $55,360 for Zuckerman and $52,268 for Tamrazian, while stating Muradkhanyan’s restitution amount was still being determined.

The Los Angeles Times added investigative color by quoting Capt. Eric Hood and describing the video as showing a person in a brown bear costume entering and pawing at the inside, and it said detectives executed a search and arrest warrant in November 2024 and discovered a head-to-claw bear costume and meat shredders.

Fox Business and the Guardian both described the investigation as beginning after an insurance company flagged a suspicious claim and as involving search warrants that recovered the costume from the suspects’ home.

Across these accounts, the vehicles and locations remained anchored to the same set of facts: the 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost at Lake Arrowhead on Jan. 28, 2024, and additional claims tied to a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E350, with the total insurance loss described as $141,839 by ABC7 Los Angeles and as $141,839 (£105,000) by BBC.

Even after the sentencing of three defendants, the case continued with a fourth suspect scheduled for further proceedings and with restitution and probation conditions still shaping the aftermath.

Fox Business said a fourth suspect, Ararat Chirkinian, 39, is scheduled to return to court in September for a preliminary hearing, and BBC similarly described Chirkinian as having a pending case.

People reported that Chirkinian, 39, was scheduled to return to court for a preliminary hearing in September 2026, and it identified the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office as prosecuting the case.

Beyond the courtroom schedule, the reporting described restitution orders that were already set for two defendants and still pending for the third, with People stating Zuckerman was ordered to pay $55,360 in restitution and Tamrazian was ordered to pay $52,268 in restitution while Muradkhanyan’s restitution amount was still being determined.

The Guardian likewise said Muradkhanyan’s restitution amount was not immediately determined, and Sky News said Muradkhanyan’s restitution amount was not immediately determined.

Several outlets also emphasized probation as part of the sentence, with BBC saying the three were sentenced to 180 days in jail, plus two years of supervised probation, and with the Associated Press describing the weekend jail program followed by probation.

In parallel, officials framed the case as a warning about insurance fraud’s cost to consumers, with Fox Business quoting Ricardo Lara that "Insurance fraud is a serious crime that drives up costs for consumers, and no scheme is too outrageous for us to investigate."

The Los Angeles Times added that the investigation began after an insurance company flagged a suspicious claim tied to the Jan. 28, 2024 incident at Lake Arrowhead, and it described how an investigator noticed something odd when reviewing surveillance video.

Taken together, the reporting shows the case’s immediate legal next step is the September court appearance for Ararat Chirkinian, while the longer-term consequences include probation terms and restitution obligations for the three already sentenced.